Okay everyone! I know what all of my fans will think when they see that I have written a Twilight fanfiction. "Oh no, she's betrayed us!" I'm just kidding, but in all seriousness, I'm aware of the very negative reputation these books and Stephenie Meyer have gained, especially as the series concluded and time has passed.

I am the first to admit that these books are not masterpieces. Edward has some serious problems he needs to handle, and the idea of a real (and endangered) Native American tribe being used purely for your own fictitious needs raises a whole other can of worms. There are many other problems, of varying degrees of severity, that simply are not okay. I will try to address some of them as they come along in this story, but please don't let them mar your opinion of it.

As for the story itself! One of the saddest moments of the whole series, at least in my opinion, is the fate of the newborn vampire Bree Tanner. She had such a tragic life, even before she was turned, and then the Cullens can do nothing for her as she's ripped apart by Felix and the others. As a first time reader of Eclipse, it bothered me, and when we got "The Short Second Life" it just made me even more sad.

But… what if the Volturi had allowed Bree to live? What if the Cullens had gotten a chance to help this girl who finds herself in such need of it? Will Bree even want, or be capable of, living the Cullens lifestyle? What part will she find herself playing in the future of this family, if any at all?

I also want to thank my awesome betas, Bex and Aya. You're amazing and I am glad you're helping!

Time to end this excessively long AN. Here goes. I hope you all enjoy. Welcome to Damsel In Distress

Chapter 1: The Cloaks Decide Not To Kill Me

As soon as the four beautiful vampires in black cloaks—Jane, Felix, and the others—had run from the clearing, the relief that coursed through me was incredible. Even over the scent of Bella just a few feet away, I felt the weight fall off my shoulders. I would live, at least for a while longer.

The redheaded vampire, Edward, looked towards Carlisle, seemingly asking him something without words. I'd already gotten the feeling that Carlisle was the one in charge here, and this confirmed it.

"All right," Edward said, seemingly responding to a thought that Carlisle had had. He turned to the human girl, Bella. Really, she couldn't have been more than a couple of years older than I had been before Riley found me. Maybe we could have been friends when I was human, but now… even in this clearing, her blood was the most appealing thing I'd smelled in my few short months as a vampire.

"Edward?" Bella looked curiously at him. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, love," he responded. "Carlisle needs to head over to the Blacks to examine Jacob and see the extent of the damage the newborn caused to determine a course of action. He wants me there to help, so I need to take you home."

Now she was confused. "But I can just go with everyone else to the house, right? Or just go with you to Jacob. He wouldn't even be hurt if—"

"Bella, we are going to show Bree the way to the house," the small pixie vampire, Alice, says quietly. "I can see that she'll be staying there with us, at least for a day or two."

Bella seemed to comprehend. "Right. No more newborns for me until I am one."

"At least until, or if, she has decided to commit to our lifestyle," Carlisle interjected. "If she stays, it will eventually be possible for you two to meet properly. For now…"

It would be so easy. For a minute, I contemplate the idea of fighting them all, just for the chance to taste the sweetness she would provide. Edward knew my thoughts, obviously, because he said, "You wouldn't even make it past one of us. You saw how easily we beat your… comrades, if you will. And most of them were much stronger than you."

"Don't threaten her, Edward," the kind one, Esme, protested.

I got the feeling Edward would do anything for Esme, so he merely pursed his lips before picking Bella up and disappearing through the woods. I could have followed them, it wouldn't have been hard at all, but I understood that all of these other vampires would stop me, and they would not give me a third chance.

It had seemed to intrigue Jane, the Volturi leader, that the Cullens wanted to protect me. I didn't know what had been behind their leniency, but for now, I didn't question it. And really, with Bella gone, I was much more clear-headed. I would need to hunt, as none of us had done so since yesterday, but with the fresh blood not right beside me, it was easier to be myself. I could still smell it in the air, but that was nothing in comparison to her presence.

"Give it a few more minutes," said the large vampire, the only one I hadn't heard the name of yet. I obliged, allowing the smell to dissipate in the wind. I could still easily track Bella if I wanted to, but as long as she wasn't here, I didn't want to.

Finally, Carlisle spoke again, turning to me. "Bree, we are going to make you an offer. You already know some of it, but we'd like to elaborate on just how much we'd be able to offer you. Of course, you're welcome to go straightaway, but we'd appreciate it if you did come back to our home with us so we could tell you about some of our rules. This is as much for us as it is for you, you understand, seeing as we took responsibility for you. The Volturi will hold us accountable if you do something out of line."

I considered a moment. It couldn't hurt to just listen to what they had to say, could it? I already gathered from Carlisle's earlier words that I would probably not be able to hunt the way I had done so far if I did stay. I thought I could live with that. I supposed I could leave, go back to hunting the dregs of society—like I had been. Sure, the taste hadn't been as good as the clean human blood, and it couldn't hold a candle to Bella, but it would be fine. I imagined the scenario: poor little me, all alone on a corner at night. Some drug seller would come to me, hoping to make a sale. I'd follow him, slightly unsure but eager.

He wouldn't emerge. He would never stand a chance against "poor little me".

A thought occurred to me. What if however they feed is even worse than a drug addict? I didn't know what in the world that might be, but the thought gave me pause.

I understood the decision ahead of me. But words wouldn't hurt anyone, at least not with these vampires. "I'll come to your house with you. I don't know what I'll do after that." There was Fred, of course… I had to find him, if only to let him know how things had turned out today, and tell him about Diego's fate.

Carlisle's smile was more dazzling than anything I'd ever seen. "I'm very glad to hear it, Bree. Maybe the others can show you how we hunt while you run. I'm sure you must be thirsty?"

The lanky vampire, Jasper, stiffened. I didn't get his deal, but I quickly forgot it as a wave of calm flooded me. I didn't understand where it had come from, and I suppose I freaked, because the next moment I was crouched low to the ground, a hiss escaping my lips.

"Bree?" It was Esme, concern lacing her tone. "What's wrong?"

"She noticed that I tensed up when Carlisle mentioned thirst, so I tried to calm her down." Despite the situation, Jasper smirked a little. He looked nicer when he did that, though the fact that he had wanted to kill me only minutes ago still didn't endear me to him. "Didn't seem to work, though. I apologize, Bree, I suppose no one warned you about my gift."

"No, you have a gift?" Surprisingly, I was curious. "To... manipulate emotions?"

He nodded. "That makes it sound much worse than it actually is, but yes. I can sense the emotions of people around me, and if I concentrate, I can influence them."

"He's been a great asset to us through the years," Carlisle spoke up. "An asset and a son." Suddenly, a chiming filled the clearing. I stiffened, but Carlisle simply reached into his pocket and took out a cell phone. Answering it, he said, "Edward. How is Bella handling this?"

"We're just bandaging Bella's wrist properly," I heard Edward's voice on the line. "I will be at Billy's within a half hour."

"I will be there," Carlisle said. "I'm just about to leave. We're just making plans for Bree, short term at least."

"Carlisle," Edward's voice held a warning. "She's dangerous, she's never…"

"She's new," Carlisle said. "I won't force her into anything she's not willing to do, but I wouldn't be myself if I didn't at least offer temporary shelter while she decides."

I heard Edward sigh, but he didn't question Carlisle. The phone was quickly back in his pocket.

"Go to Jacob," Alice said, taking a step forward and placing a hand on Carlisle's arm. "I can see this far ahead. Bree won't hurt anyone on the way. Emmett and Jasper are more than enough for her, not even considering Rosalie, Esme, and myself. She'll try hunting our way, and she won't really like it at first, but she'll make an effort. "

And just like that, I knew that I would at least try whatever their form of hunting was. "I guess you've got a skill, too?" I asked Alice.

She nodded. "I can see the results of people's decisions. So I know that, at least while on the way home, you'll be on your best behavior."

Part of me still wanted to run, to join Fred in Vancouver. Going by the sun, it seemed I still had plenty of time to go find him. I didn't know how long it would take me to get there, so I figured if I did, I should leave now.

But I could wait for a few hours. Talk with the Cullens, and make an informed decision. I did like Fred, I really did, but I'd continuously got the feeling that he saw me more as a kid sister. I was so much younger than he was. His repelling gift was nice, but I'd have to come out of the shadows at some point.

Carlisle gave a nod. "Be careful. Call if there's trouble." He then took off, just as Edward and Bella had done minutes before.

"All right, then," the large vampire, Emmett, she now knew, finally said. "Let's get back to the house. Bree here needs to try the vegetarian diet!"